Kyle Winkler
| IP | 354 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.525 |
| WHIP | 1.517 |
| BB/9 | 4.297 |
| SO/9 | 8.797 |
- Full name Kyle Michael Winkler
- Born 06/18/1990 in Sugar Land, TX
- Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Texas Christian
-
Drafted in the 10th round (304th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011 (signed for $240,000).
View Draft Report
With Matt Purke ailing, Winkler has replaced him as Texas Christian's ace. Hitters have a tough time squaring Winkler's pitches up, especially his 91-95 mph fastball with heavy sink. He has added velocity this spring, not only to his heater but also to his slider, which reaches the mid-80s. His breaking ball is more effective when he throws in the low 80s, and some scouts would like to see him break out the hard curveball he used in high school. His improved changeup gives him a solid third pitch that he should throw more often, and his command also has taken a step forward. If Winkler had ideal pitcher size rather than checking in at 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, he'd be a mid-first-rounder. His delivery isn't the smoothest, but it's also deceptive and doesn't feature a terrible amount of effort. Scouts have noted his competitive streak for years, going back to when he led the U.S. national team to a gold medal at the 2006 Pan American Youth Championships with a 1.15 ERA.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Winkler was the ace of the Texas Christian staff as a junior, going 8-2, 1.39 and looking like a likely first-round pick before coming down with an arm injury just before the 2011 draft. Arizona still took him in the 10th round, signing him for $240,000 just after he had surgery for a stress fracture in his elbow. He rehabbed at the Diamondbacks' complex for the rest of 2011, making his pro debut in 2012 in the Visalia bullpen. Winkler gets hitters out with a 93-95 mph fastball and a hard slider. His changeup looked much better in instructional league, when he was throwing it with nice fade and sink. He has a funky delivery in which his arm comes through late, putting some stress on his elbow, but it provides deception as he steps toward the plate. Winkler profiles as a reliever but may start some in the minors in order to get more innings under his belt and build up arm strength. -
When Matt Purke had shoulder problems, Winkler replaced him as Texas Christian's ace last year and went 8-2, 1.39 for the Horned Frogs. Though he's a sub-6-foot righthander, he showed enough stuff to warrant discussion as a late first-round pick. That ended when he came down with arm problems right before the draft, causing him to drop all the way to the 10th round. He was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his elbow and had surgery in July before signing for $240,000 a month later. When healthy, Winkler has frontline- starter stuff. He can get hitters out with a 91-96 mph fastball with heavy life down in the zone or with his slider. He can run his slider up to 87 mph but it has better break in the low 80s, and some scouts preferred the hard curveball he threw in high school. He also throws a changeup, but it's too firm in the mid-80s and not as effective as his other offerings. Winkler's delivery offers some deception and he throws without too much effort. He's extremely competitive, and his size and medical history may lead to a future in the bullpen. He was still rehabbing his elbow in the fall and wasn't ready to pitch during instructional league.
